Acclaimed film, stage, and TV actress Kathleen Chalfant is Oscar-worthy in the new film “Familiar Touch.” It is dubbed as a “coming of old age” movie and rightfully so.
“Familiar Touch” was written and directed by Sarah Friedland. From start to finish, she will engulf viewers from the opening scene. Chalfant is not afraid to be raw and vulnerable in this subtle and complex role, which she builds from within. She embodies her character Ruth like not other.
Each year, in the “Best Actress” lineup at the Academy Awards, there is always room for a comeback veteran, and in this case, it ought to be Kathleen Chalfant. A grand doyenne of American theatre, she really flexes her acting muscles in this film.
There are no gimmicks with Kathleen Chalfant… just a woman with immense talent showcasing her wide range as an actor and storyteller. Should be earn her well-deserved Best Actress Oscar nomination, she would become the second oldest nominee in this category (behind Emmanuelle Riva) and rightfully so.
Kathleen Chalfant is absolutely stellar, and she deserves to be up for every major acting award this season (the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the Golden Globe Awards, the Critics Choice Awards, and the Oscars). If she doesn’t get at least a nomination, then, there is no justice in the world. Prepare to be mesmerized by Kathleen Chalfant’s acting masterclass in ‘Familiar Touch.”
The synopsis is: Ruth (Chalfant), a retired cook, prepares breakfast in her sunny and cozy kitchen — a dish she seems to have made many times before, although small and puzzling errors now punctuate her comfortable routine.
When her son (H. Jon Benjamin) arrives to dine with her, she mistakes him for a suitor. Their “date” takes them to an assisted living facility, which Ruth does not remember that she had previously selected for herself. Among her fellow memory care residents, Ruth feels lost and adrift, certain she has found herself somewhere she does not belong.
As she slowly begins to accept the warmth and support of care workers Vanessa (Carolyn Michelle) and Brian (Andy McQueen), she finds new ways to ground herself in her body, even as her mind embarks on a journey all its own. Writer-director Sarah Friedland’s coming-of-old-age feature compassionately follows the winding path of octogenarian Ruth’s shifting memories and desires while remaining rooted in her sage perspective.
